New OPM memo on RTO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you all read this to mean that no telework whatsoever is allowed? I'm trying to figure out if we can have people on call overnight from home, or if we need to go to 24/7 shifts in the building.

yep. Turn off the computer at 5:30 pm and no more work until 8:30 am.

This is going to make meetings with overseas employees very interesting. lol.

+1, I take those from home because there's no way I can be in the office at those hours. Guess I'll miss them.

[Anonymous]

Look at the last couple sentences of the memo. It says agencies can make exclusions and also they can abide by a CBA. So if your CBA covers telework, this doesn't count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is this consistent with pro-telework laws passed by Congress years ago? My agency managers were dragged kicking and screaming to allow telework and only did it because it was mandated.

It's not consistent with the law it cites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you all read this to mean that no telework whatsoever is allowed? I'm trying to figure out if we can have people on call overnight from home, or if we need to go to 24/7 shifts in the building.

yep. Turn off the computer at 5:30 pm and no more work until 8:30 am.

This is going to make meetings with overseas employees very interesting. lol.

I work in my agency’s office of international affairs. We have calls at 5 with foreign regulators on a not infrequent basis. If they cancel union contracts I assume they can require me to come into the office at 5am for those calls. This is utterly ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

This is literally the dumbest thing ever. Guess they want govt to come to a screeching halt or should we just make the unionized staff work on snow days and take after hrs calls?

[Anonymous]

Deja vu. When you use loyalty to a golf course owner as your criteria for employment, you aren't going to get competence. I foresee photos in the Post of people sitting on the floor, unable to work because they can't get a chair, a LAN connection, or an outlet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at the last couple sentences of the memo. It says agencies can make exclusions and also they can abide by a CBA. So if your CBA covers telework, this doesn't count?

Maybe, but I think that could also mean you have to negotiate the change with the union and it takes longer than 30 days to do so, or the union demands more lead time for employees to make arrangements.

[Anonymous]

The traffic on the roads and the crowds on the metro are going to be a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Any idea if the commuter busses and metro can quickly ramp up schedules to accommodate? That's my only option really but I'm imagining a scenario where I literally can't get there if the bus or metro car is passing by full.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Deja vu. When you use loyalty to a golf course owner as your criteria for employment, you aren't going to get competence. I foresee photos in the Post of people sitting on the floor, unable to work because they can't get a chair, a LAN connection, or an outlet.

I was in the office today and we were nearly at that point. There are conference rooms you could have people work from, and we do have wifi, but I don't know what you do about outlets. And there's also the parking situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the last couple sentences of the memo. It says agencies can make exclusions and also they can abide by a CBA. So if your CBA covers telework, this doesn't count?

Maybe, but I think that could also mean you have to negotiate the change with the union and it takes longer than 30 days to do so, or the union demands more lead time for employees to make arrangements.

This admin is going to breach CBAs, ignore injunctions, and discipline any employee who doesn’t comply. Guaranteed.

This entire week has been nothing but the most extreme implementation of every proposal. It’s like they are reading sites like these, seeing people speculate how XYZ might not be so bad, then making sure it’s worse. And it’s only Wednesday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the last couple sentences of the memo. It says agencies can make exclusions and also they can abide by a CBA. So if your CBA covers telework, this doesn't count?

Maybe, but I think that could also mean you have to negotiate the change with the union and it takes longer than 30 days to do so, or the union demands more lead time for employees to make arrangements.

This admin is going to breach CBAs, ignore injunctions, and discipline any employee who doesn’t comply. Guaranteed.

This entire week has been nothing but the most extreme implementation of every proposal. It’s like they are reading sites like these, seeing people speculate how XYZ might not be so bad, then making sure it’s worse. And it’s only Wednesday.

I've had this thought. If so, I hope they see that everyone thinks their writing sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the last couple sentences of the memo. It says agencies can make exclusions and also they can abide by a CBA. So if your CBA covers telework, this doesn't count?

Maybe, but I think that could also mean you have to negotiate the change with the union and it takes longer than 30 days to do so, or the union demands more lead time for employees to make arrangements.

This admin is going to breach CBAs, ignore injunctions, and discipline any employee who doesn’t comply. Guaranteed.

This entire week has been nothing but the most extreme implementation of every proposal. It’s like they are reading sites like these, seeing people speculate how XYZ might not be so bad, then making sure it’s worse. And it’s only Wednesday.

+1

Take everything they are doing at their word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any idea if the commuter busses and metro can quickly ramp up schedules to accommodate? That's my only option really but I'm imagining a scenario where I literally can't get there if the bus or metro car is passing by full.

Hahaha no way. I live in Maryland, they cut the commuter buses this summer and have a massive budget deficit, they won't be increasing service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a federal contractor planning to turn in my notice on Friday. I can make the same amount of money elsewhere working fully remote. And given my commuting costs will now be close to $4K a year, I’m fine with a pay cut.

Why not make them fire you while looking for a new job instead of looking for a new job after resigning? Make them fire you.